Slow Cooker Mushroom Risotto

a bowl of risotto, topped with mushrooms and herbs.

4.91 from 11 votes

This slow cooker mushroom risotto is a rich and creamy one-pot meal that is simple to make, but big on flavour. Creamy arborio rice, savoury mushrooms and parmesan cheese come together easily in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, without the need for constant stirring over a hot stove.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 559kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

1 brown onion finely diced
5 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
500 grams mixed mushrooms common field mushrooms like Swiss Brown or Portobello or a mix of field mushrooms and enoki, shiitake, oyster, sliced.
½ cup dry white wine like unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sav Blanc (dry, not sweet)
4 cups liquid chicken stock 1 litre. Or swap for vegetable stock
300 grams arborio rice 1 ½ cups
4 tablespoons butter
2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme
bay leaf optional

To add after cooking

1 cup Parmesan cheese fresh cheese, finely grated
½-1 teaspoon salt table salt, or more/less to taste
pepper to taste

To serve

extra pan fried mushrooms optional
extra Parmesan cheese finely grated
olive oil a little extra drizzle over the top.
fresh herbs sage, thyme or parsley

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Method

Set your pressure cooker to sauté/high temp and add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until the onions have softened (1-2 minutes).
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they have softened and browned.
Add all of the remaining ingredients (wine, chicken stock, rice, butter, thyme and bay leaf) into the pressure cooker pot and stir. Secure the lid.
Select the ‘risotto’ setting if your pressure cooker has this. If not, set the pressure to high/manual and cook for 12 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes for the pressure to build before the cooking process starts.
Once cooked, carefully vent and remove the lid once the pressure has released.
The liquid will be sitting on top of the risotto, so stir until combined.
Add 1 cup of fresh, finely grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Taste the risotto and season with salt (½-1 teaspoon or to taste) and pepper.
Top with more pan fried mushrooms (optional), chopped parsley or fresh herbs, additional grated parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Method

If your slow cooker has a sauté setting, set the cooker to sauté/high temp and add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until the onions have softened (1-2 minutes).
If your slow cooker does not have this function, use a frying pan for this step instead. Gently sauté the onion, garlic and olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat until soft.
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they have softened and browned.
If using a frying pan, add the mushroom mixture to the slow cooker pot.
Add all of the remaining ingredients (wine, chicken stock, rice, butter, thyme and bay leaf) into the slow cooker pot and stir. Secure the lid.
Set the slow cooker to ‘high’ heat and cook for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the lid and stir the risotto. Check the texture. The liquid will have partially absorbed and the rice should be al dente. If it needs a little longer, return the lid and cook for a further 15-30 minutes, or until the rice is al dente.
**Cooking times will vary due to different brands and types of cookers. Start to check the risotto at around 1 hour and only cook longer if needed. The rice is ready when it has softened to al dente and the sauce has thickened slightly. Don't overcook or it will become mushy.
Turn the slow cooker off and add 1 cup of freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Taste and season with salt (½-1 teaspoon or to taste) and pepper.
Top with extra pan fried mushrooms (optional), chopped parsley or fresh herbs, additional grated parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Slow Cooker or pressure cooker? Whichever method you choose, the end result is almost identical. The most obvious difference is the time that it takes for the risotto to be ready. The pressure cooker method takes around 12-14 minutes (plus the time it takes for the cooker to build pressure) and the slow cooker takes a little over 1 hour on a high setting.
2. Dried porcini mushrooms can be used to add even more mushroom flavour. They need to be soaked first and then added to the pot with the remaining ingredients. See the post above for tips on how to prepare them.
3. If using a pressure cooker, don't forget to account for the time that it takes the cooker to build pressure before starting.
4. Don’t cook any longer than specified. If the risotto is left in the pot past the specified cooking times, it will continue to cook, becoming overcooked, mushy and stodgy.
5. Serve immediately. Risotto is time sensitive and is best enjoyed as soon as it's ready, while it’s still hot and creamy. It will continue to cook and thicken as it sits, even when it’s off the heat. So be prepared to dish it up and serve it immediately.
6. Check the rice by biting into it. It should be slightly al dente (a slight resistance when bitten, but not hard in the centre).
7. For extra veggies, add 2 cups of frozen peas. Baby spinach, grilled or steamed asparagus or sauteed green beans also make great additions. To keep the peas a vibrant green, they can be added to the slow cooker towards the end, or cooked separately and stirred through at the end.
8. Serve it with some grilled chicken, seared scallops or grilled steak if you prefer to add meat. You can also add a smoky touch by frying some bacon or pancetta and sprinkling it over the top before serving.
9. A drizzle of truffle oil makes a fabulous addition.
10. Add fresh herbs. Elevate the flavours by adding fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or sage. Finely chopped herbs can be added to the slow cooker and they can be sprinkled over the top when serving.
11. Don’t skip the seasoning! When the risotto is ready, taste and then add salt, pepper and more parmesan cheese, to taste. This step is important, to ensure the absolute best flavour.
12. Make arancini balls with leftovers. Leftover mushroom risotto will thicken and hold together when refrigerated. Form the cold, thickened risotto into balls, coat them with breadcrumbs and fry in oil until golden, crispy and steaming hot all the way through. They are perfect as a main or starter with your favourite dipping sauce!
13. Storage; Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
14. Freezing; I don’t recommend freezing this risotto. The texture of the rice will become mushy and break apart in the freezer. Arborio rice is also very starchy and freezing can make it grainy. It’s best eaten immediately after it has been cooked, or stored in the fridge and consumed within 3 days.
15. Reheating; Leftover risotto will start to thicken in the fridge. So additional chicken stock should be added when reheating (about ¼ cup stock to every cup of risotto) to loosen the sauce and return the risotto to its original consistency. Reheat risotto on the stovetop over medium-low heat, until steaming hot all the way through. It can also be reheated in the microwave with a splash of additional stock.
16. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the risotto being divided into 5 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the risotto.
17. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition